Chapter 5: Locker 17
They escaped through a side tunnel beneath the warehouse.
Caruso drove an old pickup.
Razor rode behind them.
Cole followed on his motorcycle.
Emily sat in the passenger seat holding the jacket in her lap.
She had stopped crying.
Now she was thinking.
Her father had hidden something.
Victor wanted it.
Several members of the original Nine had died.
And somebody within the club might have betrayed Daniel.
Emily looked at Caruso.
“How long have you known my father?””
“Twenty-six years.””
“Did he ever talk about me?””
Caruso smiled sadly.
“All the time.””
“What did he say?””
“That you hated broccoli.””
Despite herself, Emily laughed.
Caruso glanced at her.
“He said you could outtalk anybody.””
“I probably can.””
“You can.””
She looked out the window.
Then she noticed the road sign.
They were approaching an industrial district.
Rows of storage buildings stretched under the yellow California sky.
Caruso turned into a fenced facility.
At the gate, he entered a code.
The barrier rose.
They drove inside.
Unit 17 sat in the far corner.
Rust covered the roll-up door.
Caruso handed Emily the key.
Her fingers shook.
“This is it?””
“This is it.””
She inserted the key.
It did not fit the main lock.
Emily frowned.
Caruso pointed upward.
“Locker inside.””
They entered through a side corridor.
Rows of metal lockers covered the walls.
Emily found number 17.
The brass key turned.
Click.
Inside was a cardboard box.
Nothing else.
Emily pulled it out.
A small envelope sat on top.
Her name was written across it.
*EMILY.*
Her heart stopped.
She opened it.
Inside was a letter.
My little bird,
If you are reading this, I didn’t get enough time.
Don’t blame yourself.
Don’t blame your mother.
And don’t trust anyone who says this happened because I was careless.
I need you to understand something.
Some men become dangerous when they lose money.
Others become dangerous when they lose control.
The worst become dangerous when they lose both.
I found something they wanted buried.
It isn't money.
It is proof.
Proof that will expose people who believe they own this town.
I hid it where no one would look.
Not because I was brave.
Because I was your father.
And I wanted you to have a chance at a life that wasn't ruled by fear.
There is one person who knows where everything is.
His name is—
The letter ended.
Emily stared.
“What?””
Caruso leaned over.
“The rest is missing.””
Razor took the paper.
His eyes narrowed.
“Someone tore the bottom.””
Emily looked inside the box.
Old photographs.
Newspapers.
A cassette tape.
A small USB drive.
A blood-stained wallet.
And a photograph of the Nine.
On the back, her father had written:
*One of them sold us out.*
Bishop, Caruso, and Razor studied the photo.
Bishop whispered, “Impossible.””
Emily pointed.
“What?””
Bishop looked at the faces.
“Nothing.””
“Don’t lie to me.””
He hesitated.
Then he pointed to one man.
“Samuel Pike.””
“Who is he?””
“Another founding member.””
“Where is he now?””
Caruso answered.
“Dead.””
“How?””
“Motorcycle accident.””
Emily looked at the photograph.
“And you believe that?””
No one replied.
She picked up the cassette.
“What is this?””
Razor’s face tightened.
“That could be the recording.””
“What recording?””
“Your father called me the night before he died.””
Emily stared.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I thought I had lost it.””
They searched the box.
At the bottom was an old portable tape recorder.
Caruso put in the cassette.
Static.
Then Daniel’s voice.
Emily stopped breathing.
“Razor, if you’re listening to this, something went wrong.””
Her father sounded tired.
But alive.
“Victor isn't working alone.””
Razor looked at Emily.
Daniel continued.
“One of our own opened the door.””
Static.
A noise.
Then:
“I don't know which one yet.””
The recording clicked.
Daniel breathed heavily.
“I'm going to hide the ledger.””
Another pause.
“And if I don't make it, tell Emily…”
His voice broke.
“I loved her more than anything.””
Emily closed her eyes.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
The recording continued.
“Tell her I tried.””
Then a second voice appeared.
A man's.
Low.
Calm.
“You always were sentimental, Ghost.””
Emily’s eyes opened.
Everyone in the room went still.
Victor.
Daniel responded.
“You followed me.””
“I followed the money.””
“You're going to kill me?””
“I already did.””
Static.
A struggle.
Then Daniel shouted something unintelligible.
The recording stopped.
Emily stared at the machine.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, she whispered:
“He said ‘I already did.’”
Razor nodded.
“That means Victor was there.””
“But who was with him?””
Bishop looked at the photograph again.
Emily noticed his hand trembling.
She stared.
“Bishop.””
He looked up.
“You know something.””
“No.””
“You’re lying.””
Caruso moved closer.
“Bishop.””
The older man’s expression cracked.
“I saw someone.””
“When?””
“After the crash.””
Emily stepped closer.
“Who?””
Bishop swallowed.
“I saw Samuel.””
Emily stared.
“But you said he died before my father.””
“I said that's what we were told.””
Razor’s eyes widened.
“You never told me.””
“I was afraid.””
“You saw Pike?””
Bishop nodded.
“Standing beside the wreck.””
Emily’s heart pounded.
“And you did nothing?””
“I followed him.””
“Where?””
“To an old hotel.””
“What hotel?””
Bishop’s face went pale.
“The Golden Star.””
Caruso swore under his breath.
Emily looked between them.
“What is it?””
Razor answered.
“That’s where Daniel used to meet informants.””
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown number.
Emily answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a distorted voice whispered:
“You should have left the jacket where we put it.””
Emily froze.
“Who is this?””
“You have until midnight.””
“What happens at midnight?””
The voice replied:
“The girl dies, and the truth gets buried with her.””
The call ended.
Razor looked at her.
“Pack the box.””
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
“What?””
She stared at the tape recorder.
“He said there was a ledger.””
She pulled the photograph from the box.
“And somebody knows where it is.””
Caruso frowned.
“Where?””
Emily turned the photograph over.
Her father had drawn a tiny circle on the bottom corner.
Around one face.
Samuel Pike.
Next to him, a number.
*17.*
Emily whispered, “Locker 17 wasn’t the hiding place.””
May you like
She looked toward the rows of lockers.
“It was the clue.””
